Abortion Access — We Have the Answer
We’re Just Not Allowed to Access it
The COVID-19 pandemic magnifies many important issues of equity, but one lost in the headlines is patient access to medication abortion. Patients who need medication for abortions are not able to access it because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put onerous conditions around the prescription of the abortion pill (Mifepristone). There is presently a legal case winding its way through the courts over the past four years, Chelius v. Wright, challenging the FDA’s rules based on its own regulations. One of the conditions the FDA listed is that the drug cannot be prescribed via telemedicine. However, during the pandemic, taking an abortion pill at home is actually safer than going to a clinic where the patient would interact with numerous people including protestors yelling at them.
What is Medication Abortion?
Medication abortion involves two different medications which induce a miscarriage. It can be taken up to 70 days (10 weeks) into pregnancy which is when the vast majority of abortions take place. The patient first takes Mifepristone which causes the embryo to detach from the uterus. One or two days later, the patient takes Misoprostol which causes cramping and bleeding to expel the embryo. Seven to ten days later, the patient returns to the health care provider for either a blood test…